Still, the comment made Clarkson look at her own practices in the industry, and the 2018 Billboard Music Awards host told Billboard she's sadly never even worked with a female producer.

"That was obviously a turd comment," she said of Portnow's remarks. "There are just so many other things he could have said that would have gotten his point across, and he chose poorly. But I get that we all speak poorly sometimes. It sounds so sad, but I’ve been working for 16 years and I’ve never had a female producer. And I had never thought about it until he made that comment. Let’s take the negative and turn it into a positive: It became a conversation."

And Clarkson said there are a few women in particular who are, indeed, stepping up in 2018.

"I’m obsessed with Cardi B’s [Invasion of Privacy]. And Kacey Musgraves’ new album [Golden Hour]," she said. "That is why I am excited about hosting. I love being able to say, 'I think you’re super rad.' Maybe I will make my whole opening stage-five clinger and talk about how much I love everyone.”